MichaelLCIn what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered Userregular
edited September 2023
Ah, got it. Yeah I might pass on this one, it's a lot going on with stuff like the red wire being stripped in the middle twice.
Not sure if I should repeat that or cut and create short wire sections across the switches. Thanks!
Currently watching the electricians do some magic bullshit.
The furnace/heat pump requires six wires to communicate to the thermostat.
For the wire going through the wall: There are six wires coming out of the wall at the thermostat but only three coming out at the furnace. Also the wire at the furnace is a different shape and color than the wire at the thermostat. So there’s a splice somewhere in the wall, and they don’t want to try to pull a new one because as was mentioned above, it may well be stapled to a wall somewhere.
But, This is all somehow being made to work with the aid of a magic black box.
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
Question. I replaced a couple light switches in the hallway recently because one was dying. But now they don't work quite right? When I pulled off the covers I took pictures of the switches and wired the new ones the same way. If I have the one downstairs on, the lights are always on. If it's off, the one upstairs can turn the lights off and on.
So something's fucky there but I can't figure out what. I tried putting the old switches back on and they worked fine, but the new ones didn't. Maybe one's defective?
I went to go clean out our shower drain and it seems like the builder grouted the metal plate into the floor... Any ideas? I don't want to just try and rip it out, taking some of the floor with it. Out apartment had one that snapped in that you could remove with a screw driver for easy cleaning. Am I going to have to get a plumber to replace this with a removable one?
I went to go clean out our shower drain and it seems like the builder grouted the metal plate into the floor... Any ideas? I don't want to just try and rip it out, taking some of the floor with it. Out apartment had one that snapped in that you could remove with a screw driver for easy cleaning. Am I going to have to get a plumber to replace this with a removable one?
Is it clogged where you have to clean it out and draino and sticking the plastic hair remover thing down the holes doesn't work?
Try more draino.
If that doesn't work just pry it up, clean / snake it, and then grout and seal it back in. It's not really hard, although if removing the grate doesn't compromise anything (be careful on this) screwing it in might be the better long term option.
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
Also if you use draino and end up calling a plumber, make sure to tell them you used it. It will save them a lot of headache.
I would say don't use drano. Especially if you're not 100% sure your drain lines are free of iron pipes.
Anyway that's def a snap-in type. Imo I'd grab a replacement which should be cheap and then hork on the grouted-in one until it comes out. Then just chip out any excess grout and snap the new one in.
life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
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MichaelLCIn what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered Userregular
edited September 2023
If it's grouted in for sure, get a Dremel or other rotary tool and grind it out first. Less chance of damaging the tile. Assume you've tried twisting it?
I've got a shower drain cover from OXO that just lays on top of the pipe - just lifts up.
Add for cleaning, yeah Drano is not great. Snaking and enzyme cleaners are better like Zep Drain Defense. Or at least I've been told so.
It's just a ton of hair near the top. The drain hole is maybe 25% the size of the opening right now and we're just 1 year in. It's easy enough to clean out if I can get the top off. I'm just nervous about 'collateral' damage trying to pry it out and then also putting it back after.
If I do try and pry it out, what's the best way to try? Use an utility knife to score the edging? I'd assume putting it back would just be a bunch of silicone.
the one slight advantage of having all that stuff wired is it makes running another wire a lot easier. attach new wire to end of old wire and pull the other end!
This heavily depends on the kind of wire and whether the walls were open during installation or not. A lot of the time they'll staple those wires to the studs because they feel intense hate toward the future owner.
Electrical wire in new construction or open walls is required to be stapled to the studs by national electrical code. It keeps it out of the way from possibly being trapped between wall layers or something falling against the face of the wall stud and the wire getting crushed and subsequently starting a fire. If you are fishing wire through an existing finished wall, it doesn't need to be stapled because it's already protected from such damage.
For Ethernet or stereo wiring, you'd want to do the same thing in an open wall so you don't risk damage to the cable.
SiliconStew on
Just remember that half the people you meet are below average intelligence.
the one slight advantage of having all that stuff wired is it makes running another wire a lot easier. attach new wire to end of old wire and pull the other end!
This heavily depends on the kind of wire and whether the walls were open during installation or not. A lot of the time they'll staple those wires to the studs because they feel intense hate toward the future owner.
Electrical wire in new construction or open walls is required to be stapled to the studs by national electrical code. It keeps it out of the way from possibly being trapped between wall layers or something falling against the face of the wall stud and the wire getting crushed and subsequently starting a fire. If you are fishing wire through an existing finished wall, it doesn't need to be stapled because it's already protected from such damage.
For Ethernet or stereo wiring, you'd want to do the same thing in an open wall so you don't risk damage to the cable.
As a kid I helped my dad rewire (state rules on licensing were weird) a full remodel/expansion on a building and we did everything in metal conduit. I never asked why, but I got pretty good at fitting collars to junction boxes and running wires and sketching the details. I think he still had a full wiring diagram of the place when he sold it in 2014.
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
the one slight advantage of having all that stuff wired is it makes running another wire a lot easier. attach new wire to end of old wire and pull the other end!
This heavily depends on the kind of wire and whether the walls were open during installation or not. A lot of the time they'll staple those wires to the studs because they feel intense hate toward the future owner.
Electrical wire in new construction or open walls is required to be stapled to the studs by national electrical code. It keeps it out of the way from possibly being trapped between wall layers or something falling against the face of the wall stud and the wire getting crushed and subsequently starting a fire. If you are fishing wire through an existing finished wall, it doesn't need to be stapled because it's already protected from such damage.
For Ethernet or stereo wiring, you'd want to do the same thing in an open wall so you don't risk damage to the cable.
As a kid I helped my dad rewire (state rules on licensing were weird) a full remodel/expansion on a building and we did everything in metal conduit. I never asked why, but I got pretty good at fitting collars to junction boxes and running wires and sketching the details. I think he still had a full wiring diagram of the place when he sold it in 2014.
See, conduit rules. You put conduit in there and it's big enough to fit the cables I need, you're my best friend.
Someone put 1/4" conduit in the wall for a TV mount at one house and the homeowner was pissed I couldn't set their HDMI up though. Nothing I can do, gotta order baluns and also baluns are way more expensive, see ya in a couple weeks!
amateurhourOne day I'll be professionalhourThe woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered Userregular
Yeah we did spray foam here at the little shed house we build, so I had to go through and run cat6 everywhere even though none of it is being used currently because Starlink.
are YOU on the beer list?
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
I mean, yeah, but then you gotta cut the entire length of the wall open. For a home improvement I'd do for my own house that's even a maybe, never gonna do that in a client's home.
the one slight advantage of having all that stuff wired is it makes running another wire a lot easier. attach new wire to end of old wire and pull the other end!
This heavily depends on the kind of wire and whether the walls were open during installation or not. A lot of the time they'll staple those wires to the studs because they feel intense hate toward the future owner.
Electrical wire in new construction or open walls is required to be stapled to the studs by national electrical code. It keeps it out of the way from possibly being trapped between wall layers or something falling against the face of the wall stud and the wire getting crushed and subsequently starting a fire. If you are fishing wire through an existing finished wall, it doesn't need to be stapled because it's already protected from such damage.
For Ethernet or stereo wiring, you'd want to do the same thing in an open wall so you don't risk damage to the cable.
As a kid I helped my dad rewire (state rules on licensing were weird) a full remodel/expansion on a building and we did everything in metal conduit. I never asked why, but I got pretty good at fitting collars to junction boxes and running wires and sketching the details. I think he still had a full wiring diagram of the place when he sold it in 2014.
There are places where full EMT conduit is a code requirement. I happen to live in one, Chicago. They take fire safety really seriously here (for reasons you can probably guess). Even way back in the day wiring required metallic sheathing. Most of my 1904 two-flat is wired with BX.
Simpsonia on
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MichaelLCIn what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered Userregular
Ain't no cow kicking over that wiring!
I guess I never really thought about how I've only seen conduit living in Chicago area as well.
Don't think I ever dug around in the wiring of my college rentals in MN.
the one slight advantage of having all that stuff wired is it makes running another wire a lot easier. attach new wire to end of old wire and pull the other end!
This heavily depends on the kind of wire and whether the walls were open during installation or not. A lot of the time they'll staple those wires to the studs because they feel intense hate toward the future owner.
Electrical wire in new construction or open walls is required to be stapled to the studs by national electrical code. It keeps it out of the way from possibly being trapped between wall layers or something falling against the face of the wall stud and the wire getting crushed and subsequently starting a fire. If you are fishing wire through an existing finished wall, it doesn't need to be stapled because it's already protected from such damage.
For Ethernet or stereo wiring, you'd want to do the same thing in an open wall so you don't risk damage to the cable.
As a kid I helped my dad rewire (state rules on licensing were weird) a full remodel/expansion on a building and we did everything in metal conduit. I never asked why, but I got pretty good at fitting collars to junction boxes and running wires and sketching the details. I think he still had a full wiring diagram of the place when he sold it in 2014.
There are places where full EMT conduit is a code requirement. I happen to live in one, Chicago. They take fire safety really seriously here (for reasons you can probably guess). Even way back in the day wiring required metallic sheathing. Most of my 1904 two-flat is wired with BX.
Yeah we had some BX runs too.
Got the scar on my finger to prove it.
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MichaelLCIn what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered Userregular
Ah, got it. Yeah I might pass on this one, it's a lot going on with stuff like the red wire being stripped in the middle twice.
Not sure if I should repeat that or cut and create short wire sections across the switches. Thanks!
Called up a local company, daughters go to same school so sort of know them. Sent webform last Friday, they replied but I didn't want to bother them over holiday. Ended up coming out Tuesday and got it all done. Had them add a GFCI to a garage outlet since a) while not strictly needed, it should have been done, and b) to make the job a little more worth their time.
Did a great job on everything, recommended a timer switch for the fan since there's a GFCI on the other wall. He put in spacers/shims to line up the boxes and check out this screw job:
I've spent the last 2 years in my new house gradually lining up all the plate screws like that. I think there's an industry term for it but I forget what it is. Literally noone has ever noticed but it brings me a tiny bit of joy to see them all lined up.
Unrelated (other than being light-switch-related, I guess):
Is there such a thing as a smart (or even just LED) bulb that's actually dimmable-with-a-standard-incandescent-dimmer? I bought some nominally-dimmable smart bulbs and they dim a little if you move the dimmer on the switch down but really they're just dimmable via the app.
PSN,Steam,Live | CptHamiltonian
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
Ah, got it. Yeah I might pass on this one, it's a lot going on with stuff like the red wire being stripped in the middle twice.
Not sure if I should repeat that or cut and create short wire sections across the switches. Thanks!
Called up a local company, daughters go to same school so sort of know them. Sent webform last Friday, they replied but I didn't want to bother them over holiday. Ended up coming out Tuesday and got it all done. Had them add a GFCI to a garage outlet since a) while not strictly needed, it should have been done, and b) to make the job a little more worth their time.
Did a great job on everything, recommended a timer switch for the fan since there's a GFCI on the other wall. He put in spacers/shims to line up the boxes and check out this screw job:
I thought my wife would appreciate this because it's satisfying but then she said the bottom left one was crooked and got all mad at me.
I've spent the last 2 years in my new house gradually lining up all the plate screws like that. I think there's an industry term for it but I forget what it is. Literally noone has ever noticed but it brings me a tiny bit of joy to see them all lined up.
Unrelated (other than being light-switch-related, I guess):
Is there such a thing as a smart (or even just LED) bulb that's actually dimmable-with-a-standard-incandescent-dimmer? I bought some nominally-dimmable smart bulbs and they dim a little if you move the dimmer on the switch down but really they're just dimmable via the app.
HD house brand LED bulbs (FEIT I think) have dimmable capabilities. We have them in multiple rooms. They are dumb bulbs but work just fine on dimmers.
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SteevLWhat can I do for you?Registered Userregular
Anyone have recommendations (or anti-recommendations) for kitchen faucets? Ours is a traditional faucet with separate sprayer, but we want to get one of the combination types. After browsing online, I saw they make voice activated and motion activated ones which we are definitely not interested in.
It's been so long since I've gone shopping for faucets I had no idea they existed, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. They're probably connected to the Internet and incredibly insecure too, huh? (And will probably stop functioning when the manufacturer stops paying AWS.)
"Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
do you have a deep kitchen base? if so i definitely recommend the kind of faucet that you can grab and drag around, and also has a toggle for single or multi-lines of water.
do you have a deep kitchen base? if so i definitely recommend the kind of faucet that you can grab and drag around, and also has a toggle for single or multi-lines of water.
Yeah, this is definitely the type we're aiming for. There are just so many out there, it seems. But we'll be going to Home Depot today to browse.
And then we get the fun of trying to install it, which I've never done. It seems simple based on the videos I've watched, but I just know this thread's title will apply.
When I get back home, I'll tell you what we put in. We like ours since it has a (third) feature that has a dome of water over a jet for trouble spots. I *think* it's a Delta and Delta-exclusive feature.
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
When you switch over, what do you do with the sprayer hole? Is there a cap for it? Or can you stick a soap dispenser in there instead?
I'm in the market for something to control a mini-split heat pump. What I have now is a Cielo Breez Lite, which has stopped pairing with my phone. I could get another, but it's lacking an important feature:
What I want to do is to set a comfort range, which it can almost do, but not quite. The problem is that it can only set two temperature points. So I could set it to switch to heat:68F at 70F and cool:79F at 77F, but if I do that, the heat pump would be on and blowing air 24/7, even though most of the time this isn't needed. What I want is for it to keep the temperature within a wide band, but to stay off unless actually needed.
I initially put the 17.5w 100w equivalent in some bedside lamps and they worked fine but I noticed the lamps said no self ballasted led bulbs over 10w.
Yesterday I bought the back of 60w equivalents and they don't really work at all. Super dim as you click through the light modes with an occasional bip of full brightness. Trying to figure out if I need to go buy a different set of bulbs or of the 100w equivalent will be fine
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zepherinRussian warship, go fuck yourselfRegistered Userregular
I initially put the 17.5w 100w equivalent in some bedside lamps and they worked fine but I noticed the lamps said no self ballasted led bulbs over 10w.
Yesterday I bought the back of 60w equivalents and they don't really work at all. Super dim as you click through the light modes with an occasional bip of full brightness. Trying to figure out if I need to go buy a different set of bulbs or of the 100w equivalent will be fine
To answer your question. No, not all LED bulbs are self ballasted. But the ones that are not ballasted are designed to be swapped into ballasted fluorescent fixtures.
zepherin on
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MichaelLCIn what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered Userregular
Posts
Not sure if I should repeat that or cut and create short wire sections across the switches. Thanks!
The furnace/heat pump requires six wires to communicate to the thermostat.
For the wire going through the wall: There are six wires coming out of the wall at the thermostat but only three coming out at the furnace. Also the wire at the furnace is a different shape and color than the wire at the thermostat. So there’s a splice somewhere in the wall, and they don’t want to try to pull a new one because as was mentioned above, it may well be stapled to a wall somewhere.
But, This is all somehow being made to work with the aid of a magic black box.
So something's fucky there but I can't figure out what. I tried putting the old switches back on and they worked fine, but the new ones didn't. Maybe one's defective?
@Shadowfire
I suspect you have the traveler wire on the wrong connection for one or more of the switches. Most likely the downstairs one.
Is it clogged where you have to clean it out and draino and sticking the plastic hair remover thing down the holes doesn't work?
Try more draino.
If that doesn't work just pry it up, clean / snake it, and then grout and seal it back in. It's not really hard, although if removing the grate doesn't compromise anything (be careful on this) screwing it in might be the better long term option.
Anyway that's def a snap-in type. Imo I'd grab a replacement which should be cheap and then hork on the grouted-in one until it comes out. Then just chip out any excess grout and snap the new one in.
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
I've got a shower drain cover from OXO that just lays on top of the pipe - just lifts up.
Add for cleaning, yeah Drano is not great. Snaking and enzyme cleaners are better like Zep Drain Defense. Or at least I've been told so.
If I do try and pry it out, what's the best way to try? Use an utility knife to score the edging? I'd assume putting it back would just be a bunch of silicone.
Electrical wire in new construction or open walls is required to be stapled to the studs by national electrical code. It keeps it out of the way from possibly being trapped between wall layers or something falling against the face of the wall stud and the wire getting crushed and subsequently starting a fire. If you are fishing wire through an existing finished wall, it doesn't need to be stapled because it's already protected from such damage.
For Ethernet or stereo wiring, you'd want to do the same thing in an open wall so you don't risk damage to the cable.
As a kid I helped my dad rewire (state rules on licensing were weird) a full remodel/expansion on a building and we did everything in metal conduit. I never asked why, but I got pretty good at fitting collars to junction boxes and running wires and sketching the details. I think he still had a full wiring diagram of the place when he sold it in 2014.
See, conduit rules. You put conduit in there and it's big enough to fit the cables I need, you're my best friend.
Someone put 1/4" conduit in the wall for a TV mount at one house and the homeowner was pissed I couldn't set their HDMI up though. Nothing I can do, gotta order baluns and also baluns are way more expensive, see ya in a couple weeks!
Not with that attitude, you can’t!
Alt:
Depends on the cutout.
I mean, yeah, but then you gotta cut the entire length of the wall open. For a home improvement I'd do for my own house that's even a maybe, never gonna do that in a client's home.
There are places where full EMT conduit is a code requirement. I happen to live in one, Chicago. They take fire safety really seriously here (for reasons you can probably guess). Even way back in the day wiring required metallic sheathing. Most of my 1904 two-flat is wired with BX.
I guess I never really thought about how I've only seen conduit living in Chicago area as well.
Don't think I ever dug around in the wiring of my college rentals in MN.
Yeah we had some BX runs too.
Got the scar on my finger to prove it.
Called up a local company, daughters go to same school so sort of know them. Sent webform last Friday, they replied but I didn't want to bother them over holiday. Ended up coming out Tuesday and got it all done. Had them add a GFCI to a garage outlet since a) while not strictly needed, it should have been done, and b) to make the job a little more worth their time.
Did a great job on everything, recommended a timer switch for the fan since there's a GFCI on the other wall. He put in spacers/shims to line up the boxes and check out this screw job:
Unrelated (other than being light-switch-related, I guess):
Is there such a thing as a smart (or even just LED) bulb that's actually dimmable-with-a-standard-incandescent-dimmer? I bought some nominally-dimmable smart bulbs and they dim a little if you move the dimmer on the switch down but really they're just dimmable via the app.
I thought my wife would appreciate this because it's satisfying but then she said the bottom left one was crooked and got all mad at me.
HD house brand LED bulbs (FEIT I think) have dimmable capabilities. We have them in multiple rooms. They are dumb bulbs but work just fine on dimmers.
My Backloggery
Blizzard: Pailryder#1101
GoG: https://www.gog.com/u/pailryder
I like the one we have now - it's two buttons for the spray or stream vs a toggle. So it stays in spray until you turn off or press the stream button.
Motion is cool in theory as you can turn on with your foot instead of touching the faucet with your dirty hands. But one more thing to break.
Yeah, this is definitely the type we're aiming for. There are just so many out there, it seems. But we'll be going to Home Depot today to browse.
And then we get the fun of trying to install it, which I've never done. It seems simple based on the videos I've watched, but I just know this thread's title will apply.
My Backloggery
Yeah, I'm planning on either putting in a cap thing or a soap dispenser. A lot of the faucet models I've seen come with the latter.
My Backloggery
I switched over in order to install a dishwasher air gap, so that's one option. But, yeah, it's a standard size, so you can easily install either.
What I want to do is to set a comfort range, which it can almost do, but not quite. The problem is that it can only set two temperature points. So I could set it to switch to heat:68F at 70F and cool:79F at 77F, but if I do that, the heat pump would be on and blowing air 24/7, even though most of the time this isn't needed. What I want is for it to keep the temperature within a wide band, but to stay off unless actually needed.
Bulbs in question
I initially put the 17.5w 100w equivalent in some bedside lamps and they worked fine but I noticed the lamps said no self ballasted led bulbs over 10w.
Yesterday I bought the back of 60w equivalents and they don't really work at all. Super dim as you click through the light modes with an occasional bip of full brightness. Trying to figure out if I need to go buy a different set of bulbs or of the 100w equivalent will be fine
"They" just stick LED bulbs in everything.